Gravity
by HisAsgardianAngel
Summary: When Elena Gilbert was seventeen, she found out she had a disease called endometriosis. So she made the decision to have a sperm donor and go ahead with having a child. When she looked at the donor list and picked out Stefan Salvatore, she never guessed she'd end up married to his brother three years later. Can Stefan save her and their twins from an abusive life with his brother?
1. Headfirst Slide into Mystic Falls

When Elena Gilbert was seventeen years old, she found out she had a disease called endometriosis. The doctors told her that she'd soon be infertile, so she made the decision to have a sperm donor and go ahead with having a child. When she looked at the donor list and picked out Stefan Salvatore, she never in a million years guessed she'd end up married to his brother three years later.

Damon Salvatore, the wealthiest businessman in America, had made a headfirst slide into Mystic Falls, Virginia on a bad bet. His boss, Alaric Saltzman, had sent him and his business partner Katherine Peirce, to board at Damon's old family house and expand their business to the southern states. About eight weeks later the company was ready to open their new office and Damon and Katherine went to Mystic Falls Grille to celebrate, where Damon became instantly smitten by a young brunette who was helplessly attempting to get her young twins to eat. No wedding ring meant no rules, and he quickly ditched Katherine to sit with the troubled looking mother.

"You look like you could use some help Miss...I'm Damon. Damon Salvatore." The girl blushed.

"That's okay, sir, my children are just stubborn." He chuckled.

"I think I may be able to help." He whispered something into both children's ear, never breaking eye contact. Both twins began eating instantly and the woman tilted her head to the side.

"How did you..."

"I can be very persuasive, Miss." He said with a wink, causing her to blush again.

"May I ask your name?"

"I'm Elena...Elena Gilbert." Damon smiled, recognizing the last name from when he'd previously lived there.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Gilbert." He got the response he was hoping for.

"I'm actually not married, but anyway, just call me Elena."

"Okay then...Elena." He said as he kissed the back of her hand.

Once the couple was wed several months later, it didn't take long for them to realize that her twins were each smaller copies of Damon's younger brother Stefan, who had visited that Christmas. A paternity test was taken that proved it...Damon's brother Stefan was the same Stefan Salvatore on the donor list when Elena conceived. The already distant Damon Salvatore wanted hardly anything to do with Elena's children after that, barely acknowledging that they existed. Katherine, who was to Damon's surprise Elena's twin, became colder toward Stefan, her husband, after hearing about the paternity test from Damon. Katherine and Elena had been separated at birth, meeting the night Elena and Damon did. Katherine and Elena's parents had also each had a twin, it ran in the family. Katherine had grown up with their mother, and Elena with their father.

And poor little Thomas and Julia were caught in the middle, the two innocent brown haired, green eyed twins who had accidently caused both their parents to have loveless marriages.

*Two years later*

"Damon, are you ready to leave?" Elena called over her shoulder to him as she touched up her make-up.

"Yes dear, I'll be heading to the airport shortly." He said as he adjusted his tie, kissing her cheek and heading towards the door. She frowned.

"The airport? Damon, we're going to Thomas and Julia's kindergarten graduation, you are not getting on a plane." Damon scowled.

"I have a business trip to go on, babe. I probably won't even be back by the end of the month." Elena crossed her arms.

"Yeah and I bet Katherine is going, huh?" Damon could hear the jealousy in her voice and his frown deepened.

"She is my associate, Elena. She has to come, if you want to think I'm screwing your sister so be it."

"Are you?" She accused, her eyes narrowing. Damon stalked toward her and yanked her hair back hard.

"So what if I am? What would you do about it wench?! Take your stupid children to their little ceremony with their real father. I am a busy man with far better things to do." He slammed her head into the wall and then released her, grabbing his briefcase and exiting the room quickly. Searing pain was shooting through Elena and she felt the back of her head to find blood, lots of it. She stood slowly, looking for her phone.

Meanwhile Stefan was in a similar predicament. Of course he wanted to see his children be promoted to the first grade, even if they did refer to him as "uncle". However, Katherine was preparing to leave with Damon and giving Stefan a lecture.

"I don't want you seeing my slut of a sister or her bastard children while I'm gone do you understand me? I don't like how much time you spend with them..." Stefan tried to wrap his arms around his wife but she pushed his hands away and he sighed.

"I can't promise that. Those are my babies, Kat. I love them." She rolled her eyes as she grabbed her clutch purse and applied some bright red lipstick.

"Love is for the weak, Stefan." His mouth fell open.

"Well I love you..." She laughed menacingly and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah...good one. Let's not pretend like you didn't marry me for money and I didn't marry you for those rocking abs..." She said in a super slutty tone, running a finger down his chest. Stefan looked hurt but didn't say anything as she leaned in for a smoldering kiss. He kissed back half-heartedly and his eyes darkened with sadness, as they usually did when she left on these ridiculously long trips with his brother.

"Bye, Steffy." She purred, walking downstairs and out of the house to her car. Stefan pulled out his journal to vent when he received a phone call from Elena.

"Damon did what?! This is the third time he's hurt you this month...yeah I'll be over ASAP." He hung up and worriedly threw a shirt on, racing out to his car and driving to his brother's house.

When he arrived, Julia and Thomas were waiting for him at the door.

"Uncle Stefan, Daddy hurt Mommy again...she's lost a lot of blood." Both of them looked terrified and he gave them soothing looks.

"She'll be fine, okay? Just stay down here and I'll make her better." He promised, running up the stairs to her aid. She was sitting in the floor, blood all over her hands from where she had been trying to apply pressure. Stefan picked her up in his arms and sat down on her and Damon's bed, with Elena in his lap. He bit his wrist and put it up to her mouth.

"Drink it, it'll heal you." Elena had found out that the Salvatore's were vampires about six months into her marriage with Damon. She still was scared of them due to Damon's abuse and had bite mark scars all on her body, so she hesitated. Stefan gently caressed the scars on her arm and his voice became very soft.

"I won't hurt you like that, Elena. Don't be scared of me, drink it." Elena pulled his wrist to her mouth and took a nice long sip. She looked deep into his jade green eyes that mirrored her children's.

"Why are you so sweet to me? Most vampires are so..." She shuddered. Stefan absentmindedly stroked her hair; hardly aware he was doing so, which for some reason comforted Elena.

"Not all vampires are like that...if I were your husband you'd be treated like a princess. That's the way you deserve to be treated, Elena." His confession surprised her, this being the only time the two had ever had a private conversation. She enjoyed the closeness, never getting that with Damon.

"Do you want to stay for a while before the graduation ceremony? Damon doesn't allow me any friends anymore, and I'd love to get to know you better, Stefan." Stefan smiled and hugged her tighter to him.

"That sounds wonderful." Was his thoughtful and intrigued reply.


	2. A Drop in the Ocean

"Julia and Thomas Salvatore." The audience clapped and Elena and Stefan smiled proudly as their children walked up and received their little certificates of promotion. Stefan reached over and took Elena's hand, trying to pretend like it was no big deal but she could see the light blush tenting his features.

"I'm glad I decided to make that donation...we have two very beautiful and sweet children." He whispered as he watched them sit back down with the rest of their class.

"It's strange; when we first met Damon told me vampires couldn't procreate." Stefan snorted.

"Damon tells all his girls that, he just doesn't want children." Elena frowned and Stefan squeezed her hand.

"Don't let it bother you...I'm the lucky brother." He winked and she turned scarlet, enjoying the sensation of his fingers laced with hers...Damon never let her hold his hand.

"And Katherine is the lucky sister." She mumbled, hoping he wouldn't hear but forgetting his vampirism gave him perks. His eyes lost some of their shine and his smile faltered.

"I'm just a drop in the ocean to her, Elena. One drop in a sea of men that she toys with. She doesn't love me." He decided to stop there, terrified that his voice would crack. Elena's heart broke.

"She's a fool." Stefan quickly turned to look at her, his heart leaping into his throat. He glanced down at their entwined fingers and then back into her chocolate brown eyes.

"Let me take you out tonight. I have a friend that can watch the kids." He offered. Elena shifted uncomfortably in her seat, gently pulling her hand from his.

"I can't, Stefan. We're both married, it would be wrong." He sighed and leaned in closer to her.

"What do you think our spouses are out doing together right now? I can guarantee you it's more than just dinner. Come on, Elena...I have to know you." He said the last part intensely and Elena had to suppress the squeal that was bubbling in the back of her throat. Unable to find her voice she simply nodded and Stefan smiled in victory, turning said smile to his children as the ceremony came to an end and they ran to him.

"Mommy, Uncle Stefan, look!" They yelled simultaneously and handed the certificate to Elena. Stefan picked both of them up, sitting one on each hip.

"I'm proud of you, kiddos! How about some ice cream to celebrate?" They nodded eagerly and Elena laughed, half at her little ones and half at the flirtatious look Stefan was sending her way.

When Stefan and Elena made it to Dairy Queen he looked over at the twins.

"Let me guess...you both want Strawberry?" They nodded and Elena stared at him in surprise.

"How did you know that? Damon never even remembers which foods they prefer."

"Well, Strawberry is my favorite and they're my children so I kind of just assumed." He said with a thoughtful smile. This pleased Elena and she beamed as she handed them their ice cream.

"Are you my real Daddy?" Julia asked curiously as she climbed in Stefan's lap. Way to go, Salvatore. Stefan thought to himself; nearly face palming that he'd said that in front of them. He shot a panicked look to Elena and she shrugged her shoulders, leaving it up to him. Stefan was longing to be closer to Elena and his children, aching for the affection he never got from Katherine, so he nodded. He gently caressed his daughter's cheek and she took a long lick of her ice cream cone.

"Yes, Sweetheart. I am." He said softly. Thomas piped up.

"Are we supposed to call you that?" Stefan laughed.

"Only if you want too, or you can just call me Uncle Stefan like you always have."

"I would call you Daddy but..." Julia trailed off and her lip began to quiver and she reached across the table and tugged on Elena's shirt to where it exposed her shoulder. Three large bite mark scars and a couple fresh bruises covered it.

"You're afraid he would punish Mommy?" Stefan asked in a broken whisper. Julia nodded. He pulled her closer to him.

"I won't let that happen. I promise to put a stop to that."

"Are you going to be her Prince Charming?" Julia's voice was adorable and her question was so cute that Stefan burst out laughing and looked soulfully into Elena's eyes.

"If she'll let me." Elena blushed and Julia squealed, turning around and squeezing Stefan's neck in a hug.

When the children finished their ice cream Stefan drove them to his friend Lexi's house. When they knocked on the door she looked surprised to see them.

"Stefan! I haven't seen you since your 161st birthday! Hug me!" The bouncy blond yelled and she flung herself at Stefan. He laughed and patted her on the back.

"Could you do me a favor, Lex?" She grinned.

"Anything!" Stefan smiled and took the hands of both his children.

"I was hoping to go out with this beautiful young woman tonight, and I need someone to watch my kids." Lexi frowned.

"Katherine out being a hoe?" Stefan nodded and she sighed.

"Okay, I'll take good care of the kids. Have fun you two." She said with a wink and opened her door wide, gesturing for the children to come in. They looked wide eyed at Stefan but he patted their heads.

"It's okay, Lexi's fun, you'll like her." They kissed Elena goodbye and disappeared into the house. Stefan took Elena's hand again and walked her to her side of the car.

"Where are we going?" She asked. He grinned and kissed her on the cheek.

"It's a surprise." She blushed for what felt like the thousandth time that day.

"What is it about you that makes me feel like I'm a teenager again?" She asked quietly. Stefan shrugged and got in on the driver's side.

"You make me feel that way too, Elena. I knew you had to feel it all those Christmas's and birthdays...the electricity in the air when we're near one another. It's always been there, this chemical attraction." She smiled sadly at him.

"You can't talk that way, Stefan. I'm your sister-in-law." Stefan looked at the road intently, as if he were thinking very hard about something.

"You're the mother of my children. You're more than my sister-in-law and you know it. Don't pretend like what we've been doing this whole time means nothing. It means everything to me, Elena. I'm so lonely." He admitted.

"I'm lonely too. Very lonely." He squeezed her hand.

"I'm going to take this slow, I'm going to do things as right as I can in this situation. But I promise you, if it's the last thing I do I'll make sure he never hurts you again...and that you won't be alone anymore. We won't be alone anymore." Elena didn't answer, hating how her heart lurched when he looked at her and how she always hung on to his every word. She didn't want to be this person, she didn't want to be to Damon the way he was to her...but with all that had happened that day between her and Stefan, she couldn't help but wonder if this is what real love felt like. Was it?


	3. Longest Night

A few weeks passed and Stefan had secretly been staying at Elena and Damon's house while Damon and Katherine were still on their business trip. Stefan couldn't help himself…he was falling in love with her. And those kids, there was nothing on this planet he loved more. It was a cool summer night, the kids were playing in the yard, and Elena was in the bath. Stefan knocked gently.  
"May I come in?" Elena sighed and giggled as if she were still in high school.  
"Oh Stefan, it's wrong enough that you're staying here, you shouldn't see me naked." She heard him chuckle through the door.  
"I know, it's okay. I just wanted to know what you wanted me to cook you for dinner. I know you and the kids like Italian food, I can make Spaghetti." She grinned at his offer.  
"I said you shouldn't come in, not that you couldn't." He accepted her invitation and timidly opened the door. He frowned and took a seat beside her on the toilet.  
"Elena…" She new exactly what he was staring at. He very delicately reached over and traced the scars on her arms and along her shoulders.  
"Run away with me." He whispered suddenly. Her eyebrows furrowed.  
"Stefan I…w-what are you asking me?" He sighed and laced his fingers with hers.  
"Do you love my brother?" Elena couldn't answer, only gaze at his gentle forest colored eyes and look back down at her scars.  
"That's what I thought. He treats you and the kids like shit, and I'm sick of it. Katherine openly admits to not loving me, so it's not like I'm living the great life either I mean…our lives suck, Elena." Elena almost let out a cold laugh but stopped herself. Yeah, life does suck. She thought to herself. But it sucked before Damon and it would suck after, she was sure of it.  
"Do you really believe that life with me would be any different? I'm broken…I never got my ovaries removed, Stefan. Because even though I have to be hospitalized sometimes, and even though it hurts me so much, I still want to try to have more babies. But even if we tried Stefan, it's no guarantee that I'm not already infertile and you deserve someone that can give you a family. Damon used up the time I had left, he said he'd rather the disease win than for him to be weighed down with more children he doesn't want. _I'm broken_." She cried as he knelt down and pulled her into him, not caring that she was naked and wet.  
"You're not broken, Elena. I would try to have more children with you, if that's what you wanted. But even if it didn't work it wouldn't matter. We already have two perfectly healthy, wonderful children. You've given me so much already, how could I ever ask for more?" Elena clung to Stefan's sweater, but it all felt so wrong to her. She knew that she was starting to feel things that were only going to end up making her miserable when Damon came home.  
"Spaghetti would be nice, thank you." She murmured, causing Stefan to flinch a little.  
"Don't shut me out, Elena. Please, I know that you want this as much as I do." Elena pushed him away from her and pulled the curtain back.  
"Please, just go." Stefan sighed and headed for the door.  
"As you wish, love." The tears fell almost silently as she wrapped her arms protectively around herself, but Stefan could still hear them. It absolutely broke his heart and he wanted nothing more than to divorce Katherine immediately and devote himself to Elena. He knew it would do no good though, because he'd be kicked out of his home and he still didn't have a way to get Elena to leave Damon.  
_Think, Stefan._ He brainstormed while he put the noodles in the pot to boil and went outside to call to the children.  
"It's getting dark, angels, come inside please." Julia and Thomas ran and each attached themselves to one of his legs.  
"Daddy, what are we having for dinner tonight? You're such a good cook!" Julia asked happily while her brother squealed and hugged his leg tighter, agreeing loudly. Stefan chuckled, his heart nearly exploding from the intensity that he loved these little ones. This was the first time one of them had called him "Daddy". He was about to respond when all three of their heads snapped up at the sound of someone obnoxiously clearing their throat. Stefan's eyes widened and he stood up very tall, attempting to look like the type of man Katherine wanted him to be.  
"Good evening, Miss Mikaelson." Stefan said with a slight bow as the blonde before him put her long finger nailed hands on her hips. She narrowed her bright blue eyes as they fell on the kids still wrapped around him, now in a shyer stance.  
"Why if it isn't Mr. Salvatore…the wrong Mr. Salvatore to be at home with these children, may I add. And as Ms. Gilbert does not work, that means you're alone with her too." Stefan had to fight the urge to roll his eyes hard.  
"Please, Ma'am, when will people stop calling her Ms. Gilbert? She married my brother two years ago." The blonde woman shot him a tight-lipped smile.  
"That would be because she doesn't belong here. A washed up high school drop out that had to marry a rich man just to support her children is not the sort of woman that deserves the title Damon has graciously given her. Mrs. Salvatore is your wife Katherine, not her. Now please, call me Rebekah." She added in a sickly sweet tone. Stefan clinched his fists so hard he thought he might actually break his own fingers.  
"Miss Mikaelson, I highly suggest you leave here before I am forced to lose my temper. I don't appreciate my sister-in-law being spoken of in that way, especially not in front of our—h-her children." The spat started out as icy as a snowstorm, but sputtered out as he remembered that the twins being his children was supposed to be a family secret.  
"Exactly, it would do you good to remember that she is your sister-in-law and only your sister-in-law, do you understand me? Because I heard the little brat call you daddy, and don't you think for one second that I am above telling your brother about this little affair." Stefan gritted his teeth and spat out sarcastically, "You really think I'm the one having an affair? Why don't you check in on my wife? I think you'll see only one cheater in this relationship." Rebekah turned red but no longer had anything to say, and stalked away with a look on her face that told Stefan that he really ought to have kept his mouth shut. But what was he going to do? Let her talk about Elena that way? He bent down and put a kid on each hip, carrying them inside and dead bolting the door.

REBEKAH'S POV  
I made long irritated strides toward my car. Who did Stefan Salvatore think he was? I got inside and revved the engine, fixing my long blonde locks in the rearview mirror before speeding off. I pulled out my phone and dialed Damon's number, praying he wouldn't be displeased with me.  
"Helloooo?" Damon's lazy drawl was all I needed to hear to know that he was in a relatively good mood, which meant he was getting laid.  
"I um…I hope I'm not interrupting something, Mr. Salvatore, but I checked up on Ms. Gilbert like you asked." Damon groaned.  
"Bekah, sweetheart, as your boss it is my job to politely tell you that you suck at being an intern. If I tell you to go above and beyond the call of duty as an intern for the CEO of a company and do dirty personal work for me, then you can expect me not to be angry with you about bringing me the results. A good CEO never questions if they are in the wrong, but assume they are always right. Keeps you from looking weak." I focused on not stammering this time and shook my head as if to clear my mind.  
"Yes, well, I'm afraid I have bad news. Your wife is not doing anything that might expose your secret, it doesn't appear like you had to worry about her telling anyone, she seems to keep to herself socially. Except…when it comes to your brother, which is the bad news." There was silence on the other end for a few moments and I was growing quite nervous.  
"I see…so she's fucking him?" I about choked on the latte I had begun sipping.  
"Oh my! M-Mr. Salvatore no, I-I didn't see anything like that. I mean, I certainly hope she's not doing that. But he was staying over and acting a little too friendly with her and those kids. The little girl called him Daddy once." There was yet another agonizing silence and I bit my lip. I hated it when Damon asked me to do non work related things, because no matter how much Damon cheated he was such a jealous and controlling man when it came to Elena. It was almost as if that piece of trailer-trash was his trophy, which I had never understood. My best friend Caroline had gone to high school with Elena, I knew just how sleazy she was. Caroline told me about how Elena had gotten pregnant at the end of their Junior year and dropped out to get a Nursing GED. No one really knew the story behind Elena's pregnancy except for Elena herself, and I guessed Damon, but Caroline had always told me she thought the sleaze-bag had slept with Matt Donovan. It made me cringe to think about how Damon had gotten involved with such non-sense when I would have been far more suited to be his wife. Damon and I had grown up around each other, he knew my brother Klaus, and that's how I ended up his intern, though I would have liked to think it was because he had a thing for me.  
"Um…Mr. Salvatore?" I asked cautiously, as he was not speaking at all anymore.  
"Please send word to my dearest friend Mr. Saltzman, would you? I trust you know what I need you to say?" I sighed. Oh I knew alright.  
"Yes sir." And without so much as a goodbye, he hung up on me. The only thing I hated more than keeping tabs on Elena was asking Damon's best friend Alaric to intervene. Alaric worked for DSS, and as much as I thought Elena was a slut, something about calling him in to threaten her had always felt wrong. Oh well, as long as I kept my job, right? I dialed Alaric's phone with a pit of dread in my stomach.  
_I hate my life, I hate my life, I hate my life._ I thought bitterly to myself as it continued to ring.  
"Ah, Rebekah Mikaelson, to what do I owe the pleasure? Please tell me Damon doesn't want me to talk to his wife again…" I giggled.  
"Sorry Ric, looks like you're in for yet another drive from North Carolina to Virginia." He snorted.  
"Eh, what the hell, gives me an excuse to go drinking with Damon when he comes back from wherever the hell he's run off too this time." I absentmindedly began to play with a strand of my hair as I pulled my car into my driveway.  
"Listen I have to go, I'm home and Klaus won't like it if he thinks I'm on the phone with Marcellus, which is exactly what he'll think." Alaric scoffed.  
"Well maybe he wouldn't be so paranoid if you weren't dating his best friend." I rolled my eyes and turned the car off.  
"Whatever, but listen, take it easy on Elena this time okay? I hate her, but things got out of hand last time and I'm not as heartless as people may think I am." There was a pause, but unlike with Damon, it was a short playful one as he pretended to ponder the question.  
"Let me think….okay, I _guess_ I could do that." I giggled and rolled my eyes.  
"Oh don't be an ass-hat, Ric. Talk to you later." We hung up and I descended the stairs to the home I shared with my five brothers. When I opened the door, I was dismayed at what I found. There was an annoying brunette standing beside Klaus, and he was grinning like a love-sick fool.  
"Ello, sister."


End file.
